The transfer season is only just underway, but there’s already been a flurry of activity, much of it involving Bayern Munich. As expected, center midfielder Owen Hargreaves completed his switch to English champion Manchester United. The German giant responded by adding 30-year-old Luca Toni of Fiorentina to its strike force. Later, Claudio Pizarro, who was a regular substitute behind Roy Makaay and Lukas Podolski at Bayern, sealed a move to Chelsea.
Said Pizarro: “The most important thing is the Champions League which I was looking to win with Bayern, but we didn’t have the chance. I think now we have a good team, a good trainer and the chance to win it.” Pizarro said he decided on the move to Chelsea after visiting the club and talking to the team’s management which he said was very interested in signing him. Pizzaro is an intelligent player who performs well in the link-up striker position, a space vacated last season by the departure of Eidur Gudjohnsen to Barcelona.
Elsewhere in England, Manchester United signed Portuguese winger Nani and Brazilian Anderson in addition to Hargreaves. Scott Parker completed a $14 million switch from Newcastle to West Ham United. Chelsea also added 16-year-old Oldham starlet Danny Philliskirk.